g r a v i t y
by StrawberryKiwi-chan x3
Summary: The way ghouls move around in combat... it's like they're flying, like they can rebel against gravity. The way they fight is like a tango with the devil as the devil. It's fascinating to me, as a child. But sometimes, even now... I wish i wasn't a ghoul. I wish... I never lost him... ((Kaneki/Sasaki x OC. Lets see if I can get 1000 views with the same method of not advertising xD))
1. Chimera

**NOTE! If the person who also owns a Ninetails OC happens to be reading this, Please PM me on whether you wish for me to change the OC or whatever. I'd be more than willing to abide by your wishes.**

((i know he didn't join the Aogiri tree in the manga, but i haven't gotten that far in the manga, so i'm just goin' with info that i've gathered from the anime...))

 _The way ghouls move around in combat... it's like they're flying, like they can rebel against gravity. The way they fight is like a tango with the devil as the devil. It's fascinating to me, as a child. But sometimes, even now... I wish i wasn't a ghoul._

 ** _Chapter 1: Chimera_**

"Welcome to Big Girls!" a waitress greeted, and I smiled, walking over to a table and sitting there. "What would you like to drink?"

"Just some water, please."

She nodded and walked off. I sat in silence, waiting for him. As a friend, I wish to rebuild his memory, so it won't be lost in an abyss to never return. The cafe door jingled, and I looked up. There he is. A male with white hair and black roots, and a ghoul investigator of the CCG, Sasaki Haise. "Welcome to Big Girls!"

He took a seat in the booth in front of me. "Hello, Rina-chan."

"Heya, Haise-kun. Does this place ring a bell?" I ask. He paused, and nodded. "Haha, we used to go here all the time with our other buddy."

"Other buddy..? Was he a ghoul...?" He asked, confused. I sighed.

"No, he was human. Now, we don't wanna trigger any serious memories with Kaneki yet, so be patient, please."

"It's getting hard to be. I wish to know more about Kaneki's past," Sasaki muttered.

"Yeah, I understand. When do you have to go back to the CCG?"

"Whenever I get a call."

I sighed. "Fair enough."

"It's hard to believe i'm having a ghoul help me..." Sasaki muttered, and i felt a little agitated.

"Haha, sometimes i wish i wasn't," i admitted, a small frown on my face. "And not all ghouls are bad. Pre-Aogiri Kaneki knew a group of ghouls who ate suicide victims instead of fresh kill~"

He gagged. "Hey, It's a better way to not be a target for the CCG! The only ghouls you guys should be worrying about is the binge eaters."

"...Rize Kamishiro was a Binge Eater."

"Human Kaneki had a crush on her. Ah, I remember that day," I smiled at the image of Kaneki's bright facial expression. "Then again, that's how this whole mess started for him. Poor guy wouldn't accept being a ghoul, and tried to starve himself."

"That sounds like something i'd do if i found out I was a ghoul anyway. Tell me more about Kaneki as a human."

"Kaneki was a college kid in the Japanese Literature Department, who loved to read, especially Takatsuki Sen's books. Too bad Sen-san was a ghoul," I muttered the last part.

"Hey, Rina-chan." I looked at Sasaki. "Yeah?"

"Why don't you address Kaneki without an honorific like you would with everyone else?"

I went silent. "Because..."

"..."

"It's not like it matters, anyway!" I smiled reassuringly, hiding my negative emotions. "Besides, you'll find out when you piece it all out!"

Sasaki was about to ask something, but his cell rang, and he dismissed himself. When I was alone, I frowned. "because I fell in love with a human. That's a taboo... isn't it?"

I left the bill with a tip on the table, and left. "Time for some real food."

•.° Timeskip °.•

I plopped on my bed, and relaxed, while I listened to Hinami read a bedtime story to Seitarou, Ayato listening in the background.

"Oi, Rinamaru. You still talkin' to that Haise dude? With someone of your strength, it would be wise not to mess with CCG investigators," Ayato warned.

"Shut up, Ayato-kun. Since when did you become my dad?" I asked, annoyed.

"Huh? You trying to pick a fight with me?" Ayato got up from his seated position.

"I could beat you anyday, _Aya-chan_ ," I smirked. I could feel his anger from across the room, until Hinami smacked our heads.

"Ssh! Seitarou's sleeping! If you two are gonna fight, take it outside," Hinami whisper-shouted. I smiled.

"ooh, _Aya-chan_ pissed off his waifu~!" I sneered, and ran out the door, Ayato following in pursuit.

"Dammit, get back here!" Ayato screeched, while I was laughing the entire time. Then Touka grabbed the collar of our shirts.

"What the hell do you two think you're doing?" Touka asked, eminating a startling aura. I felt myself shiver a little.

"Oh, _Aya-chan's_ trying to fight me inside the cafe," I stated.

"Was not!" Ayato protested.

Touka sighed. "If you two don't stop fighting, I **'ll** be giving out extras from the both of you."

We both gulped. Touka's usually nice, unless you get on her bad side. "Anyways, until you two get along, you both'll be on package duty together, starting tonight."

 _...Fuck._ "Bu-"

"If I hear another protest-"

"Okay, Okay, we get it! Haha, we're sorry, Touka. We'd best be going now.."

I dragged Ayato out of there, and outside of the cafe. "...Think we should go pick up the package?"

"Y-Yeah."

We walked off, and arrived at the site, and I was about to pick up the box, until Ayato stopped me.

"Wait. Something's off."

I blinked, and opened the box. A head was in there, one belonging to a ghoul. Then a group of ghouls came out from the bushes. "A trap...!?"

I backed up, and ended up pressing my back on Ayato's. I glared at the leader Ghoul.

"I had a feeling we would meet again," The leader grinned, as he looked at me. "Ninetails, or should i say... Rinamaru."

"That was a long time ago, shitface. What the hell do you want?" I asked.

"We know you've been spreading information with the investigators," a female said.

"Information? You must be mistaken. We'd all be dead now if that were the case," I declined.

"We know you committed a taboo," another female smiled menacingly.

"We know you've done some very, very bad things."

"And now, we're going to kill you, and exterminate Anteiku," the leader declared. I growled.

"Like hell you're gonna touch Anteiku. You've never changed, shitface. You're just as smart as a rock."

"Rinamaru, you know these assholes?" Ayato asked. I laughed.

"I was formerly a part of their group, but now, they're just trash that needs to be taken out."

"I can help you with that," Ayato grinned, his ukaku splurting out from his back. I smiled. "I need a break from not killing like I used to."

"Haha, Just like the old days, right?" My rinkaku and ukaku grew out one by one, my rinkaku forming the shape of a foxtail, and my ukaku forming a watercolor blur of phoenix wings.

"Alright, everyone. Ninetails is back in session, so hold on tight!"

 **END.**

((Heya guys! It's **Sushi-chan!** Yeah it's a name, for those of you who're newbies! :D Brownie Points for you if you're reading this! This was just inspired randomly after watching some Cryaotic play the Game of Thrones! x3 But for those of you who've seen the ending of the first episode, i was like "RAMSAY WTF MAN HOLY SHIT." and now i just wanna see him get ganged up on xD Also, We have a Baby OC named Seitarou! That's just Ayato and Hinami's kid xD

Anyway, for those of you who don't understand what's going on, and the summary's not helping, here: **Rinamaru fell in love with Kaneki Ken before the Rize incident. They began dating a few days after the incident, and kept a close relationship. After Kaneki was kidnapped by Jason, Rinamaru headed straight to where the place was, where she earned the nickname "Ninetails" for her kakugan. She reached the chamber just as Kaneki began to eat Jason. Not really recognizing him at first, she started to believe he was dead, and felt herself tearing up, but the new Kaneki revealed himself to her, soon to dissapear without a trace. Then after hearing news that Kaneki was officially dead, she was heartbroken and depressed for weeks, until she met Haise. Their interactions are limited, but Haise wishes to learn about Kaneki, that other part of himself that once was him.** And then the story starts :D))

 **Update: I edited it a bit, fixed some grammatical issues. Thank you for letting me know! You guys sure are nice. Chapter 2 will make it's way forward! Also, I was thinking about changing Rina-chan's Alias from being "Ninetails" to "** **Kyubi no Hou-ou," Japanese for "Phoenix with Nine Tails," Seeing that she is a Chimera ghoul with Nine fox tails and Phoenix wings for kagune. I'm crying for my lack of originality, because most of the time, i get a really cool idea for an OC, but someone else already had it before me, and sometimes i don't even realize. It's okay, though! It's not your fault. It's mine for my lack of creativity. Anyway, give me a bit, and Chapter 2 will be here! :3**


	2. Mixed Emotion

**RECAP!**

 _"We know you committed a taboo," another female smiled menacingly._

 _"We know you've done some very, very bad things."_

 _"And now, we're going to kill you, and exterminate Anteiku," the leader declared. I growled._

 _"Like hell you're gonna touch Anteiku. You've never changed, shitface. You're just as smart as a rock."_

 _"Rinamaru, you know these assholes?" Ayato asked. I laughed._

 _"I was formerly a part of their group, but now, they're just trash that needs to be taken out."_

 _"I can help you with that," Ayato grinned, his ukaku splurting out from his back. I smiled. "I need a break from not killing like I used to."_

 _"Haha, Just like the old days, right?" My rinkaku and ukaku grew out one by one, my rinkaku forming the shape of a foxtail, and my ukaku forming a watercolor blur of phoenix wings._

 _"Alright, everyone. Ninetails is back in session, so hold on tight!"_

Chapter 2: Mixed Emotion

"Is this really how you want to play it, Koutaru?" I asked the leader, as I jumped up into the air, and delivered a piercing attack that the other blocked with ease. One of my tails pierced through his koukaku armor, and pierced his heart out of his chest. I backflipped as another ghoul tried to attack me, and jumped away as Ayato landed his projectile attack thingy. It's a shame I don't have that kind of ability. I yelped as someone's rinkaku pierced my shoulder, some of the blood leaking onto my face. I sliced the kagune and tried to hit the other with my rinkaku, but he dodged it with some serious speed. Unlike Kaneki, I couldn't regenerate myself as fast, which was bad for me. I lunged at the attacker, and began to throw punches at her, and while she was down, I cut her entire body in half, the blood splattering onto my face and clothes.

"And i just got this.." I dodged an ambush from Koutaru, who attacked me with brute force. I found it hard to dodge all of his attacks, but I tripped on a boulder, and felt a hole build its way through my stomach. I screamed, and coughed as he pulled his rinkaku out of my stomach.

"I knew it. Not only do you still care for your older brother, but you're such a peacemaker you haven't fought in ages, fighting with only half of your true power," Koutaru grabbed the collar of my shirt, pulling me up in the air. "I've always envied you, Rina-nee. Not only did you inherit both of our parents' kagune, you were the most favorite of the two. Before you came along, our parents loved me more than anything. When Mama was carrying you, I was excited to believe that i'd be a big brother, I'd have a younger sibling that would look up to me. You did, but they loved you more. I even overheard Papa say that he wanted a girl in the first place. You know the truth now, Rinamaru. I wish you never existe-"

I watched as my own brother was murdered in front of me, Rinkaku to the chest, and ripped out so forcefully I plummeted to the ground. "H-Hai...se...!"

Sasaki only stared down at me, and I immediately recognized that look as the Kaneki Ken that joined Aogiri Tree. "Ka...an...eki...?"

He picked me up, without saying a word, and carried me away. "Wh... where..."

"Don't move. You'll only open your wounds."

"H-Hey! Where are you taking her!?" Ayato shouted. Sasaki glared at him, raising my fears. I grabbed his tie weakly. He looked at me, and I shook my head. I can't let Hinami be sad. I can't let Seitarou not be able to see his dad...! I could slowly feel myself drifting away, as my hand loosened it's grip and fell lifeless. He then escaped the area without a trace, with myself entering a dream.

 _I looked at myself in the mirror. I wore a white camisole top with a white denim skirt. The only color of my clothes was the blood that stained it, where the wounds were. I placed a hand on the mirror, looking at the other me that wore pure white. A mask that contained fox ears on the sides, and a beak that extended the length of paper dressed the other within the mirror, and she smiled._ _ **"Rina-chan, you're hopeless."**_

 _I frowned in return. "Well, at least I tried."_

 _ **"You could've died. Why didn't you let me take over?"**_

 _"You'd kill everyone. Including Ayato-kun, and Haise-kun," I growled._

 _ **"...Kaneki's not coming back. Haise won't let him."**_

 _"How do you know that, then?"_

 _ **"Isn't it obvious? Kaneki was the most wanted. An S rated ghoul at the most. An investigator like him wouldn't want to be him."**_

 _"The Kaneki I knew never accepted that. The Kaneki I loved is still there. I just..."_

 _She pouted._ _ **"You still love him, huh? How troublesome."**_

 _"Shut up! I won't let you kill him!"_

 _ **"Ah? But he's an investigator. You're a ghoul. You just deliver information. He doesn't care. Kaneki's dead, Rina-chan."**_

 _I punched the mirror, the glass breaking into pieces. She giggled._ _ **"You'll see me again someday~!"**_

I blinked, and sat up immediately in the bed, analyzing my surroundings. This place was unfamiliar to me. "Good morning. Slept well?"

I turned to see Sasaki. "Where'd you take me, Haise-kun? More importantly, Why am **I** in **your** bed!?"

"ahaha..." he nervously laughed. I got up and tackled him.

" **YOU PERVERT!** "

"I didn't do anything, though!"

•.° After that lovely reunion! x3 °.•

"So these are your Quinckes?" I asked, sipping my coffee, while looking at the four... well, three. It's just the boys and the transgender. The other one's just super lazy.

"Yeah, they're a work in progress. But... Rina-chan."

I looked at Sasaki. "Yeah?"

"Do you have any ties with the Aogiri Tree Ayato Kirishima?"

I almost choked on my coffee. "Why do you as-"

"Please answer my question," Sasaki demanded, and I felt a pang of shock flow through me. Shit.

"No, I don't. He just happened to be there."

"That sounds suspicious."

"Well, we had matters to take care of with the same group. It's a coincidence, is it not?" I tried to lie.

"Yes, Indeed. Ghouls can't be trusted."

I blinked, still in shock. "But I trust you, which means I can trust you not to hang around him, right? If that were to happen, i'm afraid i'd have to turn you into Mado-san."

"Y-Yes. I'll stay away from him," I agreed immediately, relieved that I was able to spare him from the investigators. Sasaki smiled, taking my hand, and dragging me with him out the door.

"Now, how about some coffee?"

 **END.**

((Since I've been working on this over my Thanksgiving break, I'm going to post not only chapter 2, but 3 as well! But I had to delay it a bit to enjoy thanksgiving with my family and friends. Also, If any of you saw the Purina Dog show thing, You saw how some of the contestants were choking their dogs a bit by pulling on the leash attached to the collar, and some of the smaller dogs weren't even fully touching the ground! Anyway, enough with my rant. I'll get chapter 3 posted later on in my free time :3))


	3. Secrets

**RECAP!:**

 _"Do you have any ties with the Aogiri Tree Ayato Kirishima?"_

 _I almost choked on my coffee. "Why do you as-"_

 _"Please answer my question," Sasaki demanded, and I felt a pang of shock flow through me. Shit._

 _"No, I don't. He just happened to be there."_

 _"That sounds suspicious."_

 _"Well, we had matters to take care of with the same group. It's a coincidence, is it not?" I tried to lie._

 _"Yes, Indeed. Ghouls can't be trusted."_

 _I blinked, still in shock. "But I trust you, which means I can trust you not to hang around him, right? If that were to happen, i'm afraid i'd have to turn you into Mado-san."_

 _"Y-Yes. I'll stay away from him," I agreed immediately, relieved that I was able to spare him from the investigators. Sasaki smiled, taking my hand, and dragging me with him out the door._

 _"Now, how about some coffee?"_

Chapter 3: Secrets

"Tell me more about Kaneki," Sasaki asked, as he sipped his coffee. We were at the coffee shop located within a bookstore.

"Well... What do you want to know?" I asked.

"What was his relationship with you?"

I refused the urge to spit out my coffee. "U-Um, Haise-kun, that should be saved for la-"

"But I want to know now~!" He whined/begged. An odd mixture that was.

"We can't trigger any serious memories with him yet, tho-"

"I'm prepared. Please tell me!" He begged, and I sighed.

"Pay the bill. We can't have it happen here," I demanded, and he nodded, setting the bills and coins on the table, and we left. I brought him into an abandoned house, and barricaded the door."Wait here, I have to get something."

As I entered the room in the basement, I noticed myself getting tired, from the random cloth drugging me. I fell unconscious as the other walked up, taking my appearance.

"Are you sure you want to proceed with this? You might not be able to come back."

"Yeah. I've gathered up the courage to confront my former self. Although, promise me one thing."

I looked at Sasaki, then blushed when he hugged me. "If anything happens to me, Please take my spot and take care of the Quinckes."

I sighed, and returned the hug. "I'll do whatever i can."

"That's all that needs to be done, Rina-chan."

I smiled, before My rinkaku stabbed him in the stomach. He coughed up blood, looking at me with a pained expression. "Wh..."

"I thought you knew not to trust ghouls, Sasaki Haise. Such a shame, it is. Well, to be honest. You can't even trust her. You can't trust anyone."

"Her...?" He asked, and i sighed, releasing my rinkaku from him. I walked over to a room, and pulled Rinamaru out of it, and she fell on the ground, seemingly lifeless.

"Rina-chan..!" He crawled over to her, his wounds regenerating quickly.

"Aww, well isn't this sweet. The couple reunites once again."

"What..?"

"You're a fool, Sasaki. She only wanted Kaneki back. She only wanted the Kaneki she loved. She could care less about you."

"That's not..."

"Oh, but it is. You have to be careful, Foxes can decieve you. That's all she ever was. A decieving, sly little fo-"

An ukaku shard, glowing and flaming ((A/N: The flame part is an illusion when the target gets hit by it. The warmth of it makes them sleepy, and they start to get delusional.)), and I growled. "So the Nine Tailed Phoenix shows her true colors."

•.° POV switch °.•

I rose up and glared at the female. "Hypocrite."

"Now now, is that a way to treat your best friend after seeing her again?" She asked.

"You once told me not to decieve others, yet here you are, decieving others. Who is the hopeless one now, Sayuri?" I asked. Sayuri chuckled. "Well, then. At least you remember who I am."

 **((Sasaki: Wait, Fox? Phoenix? What?**

 **Me: Stop thinking and keep reading my story.**

 **Sasaki: Read? But i'm a character in your story! You're breaking the 4th wall!**

 **Me: Whatever, I can't think straight when i'm sick anyway.**

 **Sasaki: -'))**

"Why did you come then, Sayuri? I thought I told you to stay away."

"Did you forget? Just like my sister, I fell in love with Kaneki. But after she died, and Kaneki replaced her, I had no choice but to hate him. I hated his existence. I loved my sister dearly. And Kaneki killed her."

"Kaneki didn't kill Rize, Sayuri. It was a construction accident," I admitted truthfully. "Sasaki has nothing to do with this, so why'd you get him involved?"

"It was the perfect moment, nothing more. I want to see you suffer, Rinamaru."

Like it were from bullets of a machine gun, Sayuri was stabbed to death from the ukaku shards. "Rest in peace."

I turned to look at Sasaki, who just blinked. "If she told you that I fell in love with Kaneki Ken, She wasn't wrong. But what she was wrong about was me wanting my lover back. Sasaki, Kaneki is dead. All that's left of him is Centipede. Now you know my secret. All I wanted to do was to help you remember your past, so I wouldn't be the only one carrying the memories of someone elses. If you wish to take me in to the CCG, go ahead. I won't resist. It's all over for me anyway."

I looked down at my feet, the tears streaming through my eyes. No... I don't want it to end like this. Why? It's too early. I won't be able to see everyone at Anteiku. They were all so nice to me, and I felt at home there. God, why am I so weak? Back then, it was so easy to keep my cool, as the Nine Tailed Phoenix. Am I just Rinamaru now? Is it because Sasaki... I heard a sigh.

"Rinamaru."

I shut my eyes. "I'm serious. You've heard of the Nine Tailed Phoenix, right? I'm one of the few most skilled Chimera Ghouls out there. They could use me to help get rid of ghouls. Not only that, humans could live more peacefully. But not all ghouls are bad. Please remember that."

"You forgot, didn't you?" My eyes opened wide as he placed his hands on my shoulders. "You forgot that I trusted you. That I believed you. I don't care if you're the Nine Tailed Phoenix, or any ghoul in general. If anyone, you're my friend, Rinamaru."

"If anything, you're my friend, Rina-chan," Kaneki smiled. My eyes widened at the memory, tears flowing like a waterfall, and I hugged Sasaki, crying like it's the end of the world. He chuckled, and hugged back, rubbing circles into my back, as to soothe my mental pain.

"On the inside, you're still just a kid. I've realized that from my time with you," Sasaki recalled, and I laughed slightly.

"That proves I have yet to change. I'm still the same," I smiled.

"Promise me you won't change, Rina-chan," Kaneki looked at me, eyes full of seriousness and serentiy. I smiled before kissing him.

"I promise."

"Hey, Sasaki?" I asked, as I parted from the hug. He looked at me, and I pulled out a black eyepatch and a black lower mask, a zipper in between the teeth from one of the boxes. "This was what i wanted to show you."

He took the mask from my hands, and examined it.

"Sorry, but it's a replica. I don't know what happened to the real one," I admitted. "It was his first mask."

Sasaki looked down at the mask, looking as if he recognized it. "Sorry, I can't really remember it."

I grabbed the mask, and placed it on top of the box. "It's fine. Don't stress yourself on it. Also... Can you promise me something?"

He seemed a bit hesitant before he answered. "Anything for a friend."

"Promise me... You'll be the same person. Once you truly remember."

Sasaki blinked, before nodding. "Promise."

I smiled. "Okay, Then it's settled! Also, I'm surprised you haven't gotten a call yet."

His eyes widened, when he remembered the situation. "Ah, about that... Can you come with instead of the Quinckes? I don't want them really partaking in another fight with an S class ghoul. I'm sure you had business with Hiraku, right?"

"She tried to buy me at an auction once..." I muttered.

"So you will?" He asked, not hearing me mutter.

"Oh, Yeah! I can guarantee you and your teammate's safety! Also, you might want to change out of that shirt. Here, I found a spare close to your size," I tossed a gray dress shirt to him, and I grabbed the replica mask. "I'll let you go ahead and get changed. Don't worry, I know where she hides."

I exited the basement, and then the house, slipping the mask on, and making my way to the auction. If i'm going to help Sasaki out... I can't let myself be caught by either the Aogiri Tree or the CCG. I could feel my heart pounding with excitement, as I leaped from building to building, my bloodthirst increasing. "Time to extinguish Hiraku."

 **END.**

((Heya, Guys! Sorry for the delayed post. I wasn't able to post this since I was in school, and after a surgery I had a month or two ago, I have a lot to make up. Also, since it's High School, I'm having a bit of trouble getting it complete (I'm not able to get help with my homework when I need it the most, so I basically have to ask the teachers for help within school hours. Don't worry about me, though. I'll make it! :3

Also, yeah. Writing this one was a bit odd for me, because I never expected to insert a feel scene in there, also, remember I was sick when writing this. Usually when I'm sick and writing chapters, I end up rushing to the emotion, and conflict. It's such a bad habit, sometimes.

 _ **If there needs any edits in spelling and grammar, please let me know. Also, feel free to give me tips on how to update future chapters, once Chapter 4 is released. Since i'm just one High School student with no editors to review my work, I'd appreciate your advice. I will not accept comments such as "Oh, well, you need change this, because your story doesn't look that great." The reason is, is because you're just telling me change something without a proper explanation as to why you want me to change it. Also, when you're submitting advice, don't act like a 5th grader and just posting small sentences like the example above. If you want a better fanfiction, be more serious about it. I'm all up for Constructive Criticism, especially in this stage, right now. In all honesty, I just want this to look at least decent for everyone, and I'm not asking you to go ahead and help me out right now, and magically tell me everything there needs to know. I'm just saying "Feel free to help me out when you want." I might not get your reviews right away, but I'll be grateful for the extra help. Thank you for your time.**_ ))


	4. Monster?

**In the last chapter...**

 _"But I want to know now~!" He whined/begged. An odd mixture that was._

 **And so it continues.**

Chapter 4: Monster?

I slipped off the mask, remembering Ayato's connection with it, and I cursed. I dropped down from a high stairwell, and entered Uta's shop.

"Heya, Uta-san," I greeted. He seemed to be working on a new mask, and then looked up and saw me.

"Long time, no see. What brings you here?" He asked, putting the carving tool aside. I smiled.

"I'm just in need for a new mask, that's all. I have matters to attend to."

"I see. Maybe this one will work," Uta said as he walked over to a stand, and presented a Kitsune mask, with one side broken to reveal the eye, and still keep the rest of the identity hidden. "It seems to fit your style in a way."

I picked it up and examined it, then noticed a sort of phoenix masquerade mask, and I looked back at the 3/4 kitsune mask. "I'll take these two. I hear there's a Masquerade coming up."

"Yes, indeed. But I also hear you must attend with a partner," He confirmed. I chuckled.

"I have someone in mind. Thank you," I grinned as I took the two masks, and gave him a piece of paper with the location of a former, yet popular hunting ground over in a nearby district.

"Ah, I've heard of this place. I'll be sure to visit."

I slipped on the kitsune mask, and left, heading to the abandoned building, formerly one of Rize's hunting grounds. I waited somewhere where I could see Sasaki. I only saw some of Hiraku's guards enter the building, with a hostage. I couldn't tell if they were human or a ghoul, because of their scent mixed in with the guards. "Weird..."

I debated on whether I should just enter or not, because knowing Hiraku, he'd kill hostages automatically. That binge eater never stops. I then felt a buzz in my pocket, and I answered the call.

"Rina-chan, we have a problem, here," Sasaki's voice wavered a bit.

"Huh, what is it?" I asked.

"Hiraku... kidnapped one of my quinckes, Mutsuki Tooru, and left a nasty note. Not only that, but he threatened the both of us. The note said _**If you or Rinamaru come to rescue this one, I'll have her killed. If one of you turns yourself in, i'll spare her life. I prefer CCG meat, by the way.**_ "

"That sounds like him alright. Okay, I know how to handle this, I'm already outside his hidey hole anyway."

"Just be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, I know. See you later."

I hung up on the call, and planned how I'm going to do this as I walked up to the guards. "Heya, Akashi-san, dunno how you can tolerate this guy anyway, but I'm sure when I walk in, his wishes will be granted at a single glance."

Akashi laughed. "Same as always, huh, Rina-chan? Turning yourself in?"

"Yep. I'd like to have a talk with that ass about that nasty letter he sent to my friend," I replied to his question, as he pointed a blade to me, made of the same metal Yamori used to torture Kaneki. I started to wonder where he got that. I walked down to where Hiraku's lair was. Akashi left as soon as I entered.

"Sasa-" the captive cried, but immediately halted, after seeing me. "Wh..."

"Huh? It's the Nine Tailed Phoenix. What a surpise~!"

"Let her go," I growled, my kagune unleashing itself.

"Ah, You see... I can't do that. She's a required ingredient for my project," Hiraku hugged her, in an uncomfortable way for the transgender.

"Project? Disgusting. For being as old as you are, I can't believe you're still a molester," I scoffed. In a split second, he moved to me, and grasped my neck. My ninetails prepared to attack him.

"Now, Now. We don't say such things, now do we? If you were really a lady, you wouldn't say such nasty things," Hiraku growled. I laughed.

"You're the one to talk, Hiraku, after that letter you sent. You always practiced proper manners," I remarked, increasing his agitation.

"Well... you got a point, there."

I blocked his kokaku attack, and thrashed away from his grasp, my ukaku slowly turning from a bright red to a bright blue. He lunged towards me, and I did a backflip off of him just as he was about to break my defense. I launched an attack with my rinkaku, but used his koukaku shield to deflect my attack. "Tch."

I jumped up to a higher ground, and then with the same altitude, sent a pounding attack, making Hiraku stumble a little as he blocked that as well. He continued to block as I attacked and pounded on the shield, and he snuck in a punch to my face (which I made the mistake of leaving that as an opening), knocking me back before I could break the koukaku. I lunged at him, as I threw countless punches and pounding from my rinkaku at him. The shield part of his kokaku shattered. I then roundhouse kicked him, as he fell to the floor.

"Did you forget who I was?" I asked, as I grabbed his tie, restraining him from being able to attack.

"That'd be like forgetting how much you fight like a giraffe-"

I grabbed his throat, and tightened my grip. "Now, why the hell would you risk yourself becoming even more of a target to the CCG? That's just stupid, Hiraku."

I loosened a bit, so he could talk. "I just... want to be cool... I want... to be... powerful...!"

"Cool, huh? Powerful? You may be a binge eater, but you're no match even for a ghoul of your own. I'm sick of you already."

I closed my eyes, as blood splattered on my face, after grasping too hard. Hiraku's head rolled from my hands onto the floor, leaving that fearful expression. I sucked the blood off of my finger, and I sighed. "Tastes like grapefruit If you don't peel off the skin."

I looked back at Mutsuki, and I walked over to cut the ropes and bonds. She immediately backed away at least 5 feet once she was free.

"W-Why did you free me!? A-Are you going to kill me!?" She asked, her voice quivering.

"No, I'm not. If anything, Hiraku would've killed you. I'm just helping a friend," I reply casually.

"A friend? What, are they a ghoul too!?" She retorted. I blinked.

"Look, Mutsuki-san, it's complicated. That friend cares about you, and wants you alive. I have no intention of killing innocent people anyway."

"The Nine Tailed Phoenix, an S rated chimera, helping a quincke of the CCG? I find that hard to believe."

I looked at her, trying to figure out how to explain this without letting her know about my friendship with Sasaki. "Believe what you want, but at least know I'm trying to keep you alive, for S-"

I caught myself before I slipped out his name so casually. "for the sake of not getting killed."

"Do you fear the CCG then? You just don't "Want to get killed?" You're just a ghoul, like Hiraku, and the rabbit, and the serpent, and torso... You're a Monster!"

I felt a pang of sadness heave through me, and I gritted my teeth, before jumping out of there. I hid within one of the rooms, biting my lip, as I texted Sasaki, letting him know Mutsuki's safe. I sent the text, and put the phone in my pocket, wiping away the tears that escaped my eyes.

"Tooru-chan!" I heard a voice echo, and I sniffled as I listened on.

"Tooru-chan, are you okay!?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

"Not a scratch or anything!?"

"N-no..."

"That's good to hear. Did you do this?" I believed they were referring to Hiraku.

"No, not at all... It was another ghoul... The S rated Nine Tailed Phoenix!"

"What...?"

"She talked to me, and told me weird things like "I was just helping a friend, who wanted you alive." I scared her off, though."

"What the... That's suspicious. We should send a report-"

"No, leave it be."

"Sassan?"

"Tooru-chan, you must've been through a lot, and you were probably hallucinating. Come on, you should get some rest."

"Wh... okay..."

I watched as everyone left, before I punched a thick wall, bruising my hand.

"Monster...?" I muttered to myself, before jumping back down, eating the arm of what once belonged to Hiraku. "She's right..."

I rose up, and went ahead to Anteiku. Seitarou's 3rd birthday is coming, and I'm unsure on what to give him. I walked in the cafe, and walked into the employees only enterance, knocking at least 3 times. "Hinami-chan..?"

No response. I gulped, before I entered. Seitarou was by himself, fast asleep. Hinami was nowhere to be seen. The window was open, and I looked out before I closed it. I walked over to his crib, and I smiled. "You're an adorable little nephew."

I pecked his forehead gently, and exited the room, quietly shutting the door. I went back into the cafe, in search for Touka or Ayato. I saw neither one of them. I walked up to one of the waitresses. "Excuse me, but have you seen Touka-chan?"

The waitress blinked. "Touka? I believe she went out. Why?"

"Nothing to worry about," I reassured, and turned to leave, but she stopped me.

"Wait, Hinami wanted me to give this to you." She handed me a note, and I took it, opening it. _Rina-chan, can you watch Seitarou for me? Something came up, and they need me to help. You know where everything is. Also... don't forget the package. You can handle it yourself, right?_

I smiled, relieved to know she was okay. I went ahead back upstairs, just as Seitarou woke up. "Auntie!"

"Yeah, Hey Seitarou," I smiled, as I took him out of the crib, and sat down on the carpet. "So what'cha wanna do?"

"I wanna ask yew somefing," ((I fail at baby talk holy crap ;-; )) Seitarou smiled, as he hugged his teddy bear.

"You do? What is it?" I asked, a little curious. Seitarou doesn't really talk much, nor does he ask anything.

"Why you see that guy? That Ineitor?" Seitarou asked, and I giggled at his attempt on pronounciation.

"You mean 'Investigator'?" He nodded at my response. I smiled.

"You don't need to know," I dismissed, but picked him up and let him sit in my lap. "But I'll tell you a story. About a Prince and a Princess!"

He giggled, and I told him a story my mother used to tell me and my brother. I wish it could be like this forever... I wish... _I wasn't a ghoul to begin with._

 **END.**

((Hey, guys! Chapter 4 is Complete! :D Working on C5 right now, and debating whether I should add the auction raid part (Probably the majority of the aftermath, for those who don't want spoilers, so I won't really be specific.) and then add the Masquerade mentioned. I have a way to go about it, so if you have any tips, feel free to tell me! I'll be more than willing to listen :3))


	5. Irony, a few days later

**In the last chapter...**

 _Seitarou's 3rd birthday was coming up._

 _((Celebration, maybe?))_

 **And so it continues.**

Chapter 5: Irony, a few days later

"Sasakiiiiiiiiiiii!" I shouted, running towards the unaware male, tackle hugging him from behind.

"Ack! Rina-chan!" Sasaki struggled his way out of my grip, to then scold me. I laughed, seemingly oblivious to everything. "What is it now?"

"Guess what? I got an invitation for you!" I pulled out a fancy envelope, and handed it to him. He looked at me weird, as he opened it, and read the letter.

"An invitation to a Banquet?" He asked. "Why are you giving me this...?"

"Because, It's a Ghoul Banquet, and you have to go with a partner, and since you're the only one I feel like going with, I've decided to invite you (personally)!" I smiled. Sasaki blinked, looking at the invitation and then back at me.

"I don't have anything fancy to wear..." He muttered. "And a Ghoul Banquet? I guess I'll send the news over to headquarters-"

"No! Don't do it just yet! We have to find the perfect outfit!" I dragged him away, just before he could pull his phone out.

"W-Wait!"

•.° Timeskip °.•

"So, how does it look?" I asked. Sasaki adjusted his tie to his liking, and brushed the dirt off of the tux. "Honestly, I think it looks good on you."

"Really? It's a little tight on me..." He frowned, checking himself out. I threw a different suit at him, and shoved him into the dressing room.

"Then try this one."

Sasaki then came out minutes later with a different suit.

"How does this one look?" I asked.

"Eh."

"Y'know what, screw it. You go pick one."

"You should've said that earlier."

"I didn't think I had to!"

Sasaki picked out a tux and tried it on, which, honestly matched his appearance pretty accurately. I smiled.

"Alright. Don't you have a dress you're going in...?" Sasaki asked. I blinked.

"Umm..."

•.° Timeskip #2 °.•

"You're really paying for this...?" I asked, as I fumbled with the lower parts of my shirt. The dress was blue at the top, and red at the bottom, with purple in the middle which the three blended together. It had those shoulderless sleeve things, and had ruffles down at the bottom.

"Yeah. Is there something wrong with that?" He asked, counting his yen.

"N-No, it's not that, but..." I stuttered, trying to finish my sentence, blushing slightly. Sasaki raised a brow, before shrugging it off, and paying for the dress and tux. We walked out the store, and to his house, and we got ready for the Banquet, which wasn't far away from now.

I slipped on the masquerade mask I bought from Uta, and exited the bathroom after changing, trying not to be so nervous. Sasaki had on a mask that looked like it was from the illuminati that was silver, shaped like a crow (sort of). Sasaki went ahead and gave news to the CCG, before we headed off to the Banquet.

"I feel like an undercover cop," I joked, as we walked there. It wasn't very far away from the store, or his house (Strangely. Why is everything so close? ((Don't ask me, Rina-chan.)))

"We technically are undercover..." Sasaki mentioned, as we handed our invitations to the guard, who (thankfully) wasn't listening into our conversation.

"Haha, that's right."

The masquerade was packed with ghouls, the scent of blood strong from the mass amount of if in wine glasses. Everyone was dancing, and seemed to have a good time. I felt a little relieved that Ayato and the Aogiri tree wasn't here, for they had some important business to attend to in another ward, and neither was any familiar faces, besides the Sasaki who I invited. Then someone took a microphone, and spoke into it.

"Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen~!" Someone greeted. "Tonight is a very special night for all of us, you see! I'm glad you all could make it!"

I looked at the speaker. Something about him seemed a bit off, but I ignored it.

"Our special guests tonight are none other than Musicians who would love to play their beautiful music to you, as you dance!" The "Musicians" appeared, and they were a group of high class, displaying a friendly face. "Alright, everyone. Grab your partner and let's dance!"

I blushed a little, noticing ghouls getting together, dancing closely, arms wrapped around each other. The music was beautiful, and sort of elegant, It seemed to fit the mood. I looked at Sasaki, and he nodded, and I placed my hands on his shoulders, as he placed his on my waist, and we slow danced.

"It's been forever since I've danced like this," I joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

"I've never danced before, to be honest," he admitted.

"You're doing too good to not have. Is it that you have a natural talent?"

"Possibly, but I doubt it."

I laughed. "The last time I danced was at a social gathering."

"Oh? And how did that go?"

"Let's just say they picked a bad day to host it outside."

"What happened? Did it rain?"

"It was hosted in winter on top of a lake covered in ice. I still wonder to this day what they were thinking, since the ice was too thin to hold everyone up," I shook my head, earning giggles from nearby couples.

"I still wonder what your friend was thinking when he pulled out a sharpie and drew on his friend's face."

I laughed at the memory. "We were all young, once."

"Aren't we still?"

"Young adults, to be more precise."

"I see you're not a big fan of time, are you?" Sasaki asked me, and I sighed.

"You're not wrong about that."

"I could say the same about myself, honestly."

I looked up at him. "Really?"

"There's so much time, but it all goes away so fast, it's hard to keep up," He commented, earning my curiosity.

"True..."

Then our conversation slowly faded, and silence was the only thing you could hear from the both of us, as we danced. I noticed his glance directed at something within the crowd, before I was twirled, not once, but twice. I wasn't expecting it, and I wasn't expecting myself to so easily go with the flow.

"Where'd you learn that?" I asked.

"I didn't. I was just testing something out," He seemed to try to evade the question.

"And if I fell, or tripped...?" My eyebrow raised.

"I'd just act like I didn't take part of your clumsiness."

I sighed. "Gee, that's cold."

"Not as cold as it's supposed to get tonight. There's a chance we might get snow."

"It's been years since it snowed. Winter was usually my favorite season."

"I'd never expect that from a phoenix."

"That's the weather for a snow fox."

I then heard the speakers go off, as the host tested the mic. "Pardon the interruption, but it seems that we have to end the banquet a lot earlier than anticipated, due to family issues, and the CCG. It seems that they've pinpointed the location of the banquet. I suggest that you all should go and take care of whatever business you have."

I dragged Sasaki with me out, ignoring whatever he was trying to say about the situation. I was surprised he actually let me drag him away. I dragged him into the park where me and Kaneki always hung out at, and we sat on the swings.

"Tonight seemed too ordinary. Like a normal routine in everyday life," I muttered, looking down at my shoes.

"It's good to have a break from everyday life. At least, if you were like me," Sasaki smiled. "I had fun, Rinamaru."

"All we did was dance, and talk. What's so fun about that?" I asked, pouting.

"Hanging out with an interesting friend like you is quite entertaining," He chuckled.

"What do you mean by that?" I whined.

"You're different from the others. Not just ghouls, but everyone I know over at headquarters. I'm glad your my friend, honestly."

I blushed, getting up from the swing. "D-Don't get the wrong idea! I'm not all that different!"

"I'm serious. I'm not going back on what I said... unless you give me a perfectly good reason to," He smirked.

"H-Hey! You sly son of a-" I paused, as I noticed a snowflake fall, then a bunch of snow flurries. "It's snowing?"

"I told you it would."

"No kidding..." I muttered, my breath becoming a visible fog of air to evaporate as it leaves. "It's beautiful."

Sasaki got up from the swing, and grabbed my hand, pulling me away. "It's late, we should get going."

I blinked, noticing the time on that old clock thing on the post. I yawned, pulling my hand away from his grasp. "I have to admit, today was interesting. See you tomorrow."

I waved him goodbye, and entered the cafe. I went upstairs, and into the bathroom, undressing myself and taking a shower.

 _"You're just a ghoul, like Hiraku, and the rabbit, and the serpent, and torso... You're a Monster!"_

 _"Why you see that guy? That Ineitor?" "You mean '_ _ **Investigator**_ _'? ...You don't need to know."_

 _"You're different from the others. Not just ghouls, but everyone I know over at headquarters. I'm glad your my friend, honestly."_

 _"I see you're not a big fan of time, are you?"_

 _"She just wants Kaneki back."_

 _"I never loved you, Rina-nee.*"_

 _"Kaneki's gone. He's not coming back."_

 _"Koishiteru*, Rinamaru... Promise me you'll never let go."_

I closed my eyes, leaning against the cool tiles as the warm water runs down my back, with the memories flooding my mind. "Ken..."

I exited the shower before changing into my pjs, and heading to my room, opening my journal, which looked like an old, tattered book. I smiled at the entry.

 _ **Sasaki decided to become my friend. I asked him why he was my friend, because it'd just seem weird for an Investigator to be friends with a Ghoul. He only smiled, and told me he didn't know himself. I've began to notice how much of a bad liar he was, but I only shrugged it off, because I believe he will tell me someday. I still have my theories, though. Maybe it was through the persuasion of the Kaneki in his mind? Or maybe it was just that he just wanted to be my friend? Gee, this is confusing. I guess time will tell, then.**_

I slipped the book under the bed, and looked up at the ceiling, before drifting off to sleep.

"Oyasumi*, Ken."

 **E N D.**

 **Translation notes:**

 **Oyasumi - Good Night.**

 **[Name]-nee - Sister.**

 **Koishiteru - I want to be with you forever (If I remember the translation correctly. Feel free to correct me.)**

((I've decided they're just gonna be friends until Chapter ...umm... anyway! I hope you like it! Please review and tell me what I need to do to "Enhance your reading experience" or some shit like that xD Also, The original chapter title was "Ken," but that's the name of an actual episode of Tokyo Ghoul. Can't remember which season, though. And I just realized I randomly named Hinami and Ayato's kid off of the guy from Mermaid Swamp. What the hell was I thinking xD))


	6. Preview of g r a v i t a t i o n a l

((Hey guys! I have a preview of my next fanfiction, l. Don't worry! I'll still update this series every now and then. Also, check out a story by a friend of mine who goes by the name Love of Nightmare Briar Mara. Here's the link! The Boy in the Turquoise Jacket. She's a really cool person who goes to my school, and Who doesn't enjoy a good fanfiction!))

"Nee, Kaneki-kun, Be careful around her," I warned, as I sipped my coffee. "Looks can be deceiving."

"Rina-chan, you're just jealous," Hide stated, the words slapping me across my face.

"I'm not jealous! I just don't want my best friend's heart shattered," I protested, a slight blush dusting my face.

"Rinamaru-chan, I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine. I'm sure it'll be as amazing as the bookstore date of my dreams!" Kaneki reassured, before going into lala land with his fantasy. I laid my payment on the table, and got up.

"Well, I remember I had something to get to, so see ya tomorrow. And be careful, both of you. Reports say that the Binge attacks are close by," I waved goodbye to the two as I left. When they weren't in sight, I gritted my teeth, before I then noticed Rize walk past me, giving me an evil smirk, and I sent a glare back. _You're just mad because I took him away from you, Phoenix._ I opened the front door to my house, and entered, closing the door, and punching the wall. I then plopped onto the couch, setting my phone on the end table in front of my couch, and then found myself dozing off.

I was woken up to my phone ringing, and I grabbed it lazily, seeing that it was Hide. I answered it.

"Hide-kun, why the hell are you calling me so late at night?" I asked bitterly, rubbing my eye.

"Rina-chan. Kaneki's in the hospital. Rize's dead."


	7. A Ghoul's True Colors

**In the last chapter...**

 _"Oyasumi, Ken."_

 _((They were never married, but I guess she really was that close to him...))_

 **And so it continues.**

Chapter 6: A ghoul's true colors

 _Kaneki really did change your perspective on humans, huh? You've become more soft, and gentle towards our prey. How will you react to this, then? If I... PLAY around with your hybrid boyfriend?_

 _No... Yamori... Don't do it... Kaneki...!_

I jolted up from my nightmare. When Jason kidnapped us, That was when Kaneki really changed. His hair... Turned white. He kept his distance from me. I almost felt... invisible. I found myself feeling lonely, even when Hinami first got together with Ayato, and the Aogiri tree was around, He... Ignored me. Like he was holding something in. I never understood. All the times we've been together, his smile, his inviting presence, that sweet, savory taste... It's like it never existed. And we even fought a lot, and whenever he'd win, he would just leave me hanging. I checked the time on the clock. It was late, and my stomach growled. _Food..._

I got up, and got dressed, before leaving the house. I noticed the snowflakes sliding down, and I pulled my scarf up a bit. "Damn, it's cold..."

I walked into an alleyway, attracted by the scent of blood, and a frozen corpse laid there, but it seems to have more recently gotten frost bite. I smelt a faint scent of a bikaku ghoul, that got stronger as it approached me. I then remembered that I just recently bought this coat from a store where various humans tried it on, and it was strong enough to hide my scent from a distance. Either that, or the cold dulled their senses. I let my rinkaku splurt out, and stab the bikaku. I turned around, my eyes transforming.

"I thought you silly younger ghouls learned not to mess with the Nine Tailed Phoenix."

"I-I'm sorry, miss! I was just hunting and I-I didn't recognize your scent!"

I noticed how young this one was. I began to feel guilty. "Well, it's not your fault. I bought this coat recently from a store where various humans tried this on. If you're really hungry, might as well follow me to Anteiku. Most of the good prey is probably inside their houses trying to get warm."

"I see. But don't think I completely trust you," the boy puffed, before following me. I walked in through the back door.

"Yo, Touka. Get this kid patched up and give him some food."

"Don't order me around!" The blue haired ghoul hissed, before listening to me, and taking the boy with her. Hinami walked in afterwards.

"The staff's running low on waiters and waitresses, and I have to watch Seitarou. Do you mind?"

I smiled. "Sure, I'll help. Good thing you asked before I left."

"Yeah," she giggled. I got one of the waitress outfits and changed into the bathroom. I came back, and I smirked when I noticed Ayato helping out.

"Aren't you tired of working?" I asked. "I'm here to relieve anyone."

"Don't get any ideas, Phoenix. Hinami insisted," Ayato glared. "But I'll gladly take the offer."

He slapped the notebook on my hand, and I glanced at the hothead. "Take care!"

He held his hand up in the air as a lazy gesture, and I smiled before walking down to the next customer, pen and paper in hand. "What would you like today?"

"I'll take just a straight black coffee, and some cookies for my daughter who will be here soon."

"Alright. Would you like anything while you wait? The cookies will take some time to bake."

"Nah, it's fine."

"Alright," I nodded, before walking away, giving the note to one of the brewers. I heard a bell jingle, and I blinked. _H-Haise-kun!_

Sasaki came in, with two other people. They had a sort of unique scent, similar to Kaneki's. The girl had blue hair, and wore those investigator suits, the other was a guy who appeared to have sharp teeth, and seemed a little... I don't really know the right word to describe it, but the two of them give off a mystery identified within their scent. I furrowed my eyebrows for a second, until someone slapped my back.

"Rina, you're on the next order," one of the newer waitresses ordered, before whispering in my ear. "The table with the investigators. None of the other waiters or waitresses seem to go near that table."

I nodded, before I shooed her away. I quietly muttered curses and swears as I approached the table.

"Welcome to Anteiku, What would you like today?" I tried to look welcoming, giving a smile.

"Just three coffees," The male said.

"Three coffees..." I jotted down the order. "Anything else?"

"Not at all," Sasaki smiled, and I felt myself beginning to blush.

"A-Alright, Well... I'll be right back," I bowed slightly, before walking away. I gave the brewer the number, and he handed me a coffee, which I walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, are those cookies ready?" I asked.

"Yeah! Here ya go!" A waiter handed me a plate of freshly baked cookies. I smiled, and nodded before walking away to that man, and his daughter who just arrived.

"Here you go. The cookies just came out of the oven so they're a little hot," I smiled as I set the plate down, and handed the coffee to the man.

"Wow! This one's shaped like a horsie!" The girl squealed happily, as she picked up the cookie.

"Thank you," He smiled. I nodded, before walking away. I was handed three coffees, which I sort of hoped they wouldn't be finished right now, and I took them to Sasaki's table.

"Three coffees, like you asked," I handed the three of them the coffee.

"Cool, thanks."

"What's your name, miss?" The blue haired girl asked. I blinked. _She's asking for my name...?_ "My name's Saiko."

"Oh, It's Rinamaru," I stated.

"I'm Shirazu," The male greeted, "And that's Sasaki."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you all-"

"No need to be so modest, Rinamaru-chan. Sit down with us," Saiko patted the empty space next to her in the booth. I sighed.

"I have to-"

"Rinamaru!" One of the female waitresses ran towards me. "Since the customer rate recently went down, and you willingly volunteered, The staff can handle it from here."

 _The odds aren't ever in my favor..._ I nodded. "Alright, Thanks for letting me know!"

I gave her a smile, before she walked away. I sat down next to Saiko.

"Did'ja hear the news report, Rinamaru-chan?" She asked.

I shook my head. "I didn't get a chance to watch the news today."

"Well apparently there's been an increase of ghoul riots. Mainly Binge eaters," Shirazu said, sipping his coffee.

"Strange..." I muttered.

"Usually there aren't many binge eaters around these parts," Sasaki added. "But there's a ghoul named Wither who's believed to be leading them."

"Wither...?"

"Yeah, A ghoul who's seriously insane. You better watch out if you come across him," Saiko confirmed. "You'll know it's him if you see a tall man wearing a mask that has the paint wearing off of it."

"He's leaving messages about the Nine Tailed Phoenix."

I blinked. _To me...?_ "What did he say?"

"Put out the fire, and rid her powers. This must happen for the riots to stop."

 _He wants me dead, huh..._

"Not only that, he's also threatening the Rabbit, and other powerful ghouls."

Ayato? Touka? Aogiri...?

"What's the point in threatening other ghouls lives if he can't take them out himself?" I asked.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Shirazu took another sip of his coffee.

"And why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"Because someone told us we can trust you."

I glanced at Sasaki, who gave me a small smile.

"I think 'Believe' is a better word for this situation," I corrected.

"Well, but we believe you know the ghoul world better than our intelligence."

"If I tell you what I know, I'm limited to certain detail," I declared. "Can I speak with you for a second, Sasaki-kun?"

"Of course," He accepted, and I dragged him out of the cafe into an alleyway, where our conversation would be a little more private.

"Do you have ANY idea what the hell you're doing!?" I shouted.

"Yes, I do. I had no other options, Rina."

"What do you mean by that!?"

"There's a war coming, you know. Humans versus Ghouls. I also have another problem."

I looked him in the eye, before sighing. "What is it?"

"The more I use my kagune, the more I lose control, and the more I remember you... Like I knew you as someone else, The more... I begin to lose myself to Kaneki."

My heartbeat began to quicken. Kaneki... Do I... really want Kaneki back? Haise's a lot like Kaneki, before he became the centipede. After all this time I spent with Haise... I'm not sure If I really want the man I once knew back. Because most likely it'll be Centipede.

"Then don't use it."

Sasaki looked at me.

"Don't use your kagune."

I pulled out a piece of paper, and wrote my number down on it. I handed the paper to Sasaki.

"Give them my number. I have to be somewhere right now, so contemplate a good time to meet."

I began to walk away.

"Wait, Rina-chan."

I turned around. "What is it now?"

Sasaki hugged me. I blushed to the point where my face was the exact color of a tomato.

"Haise-kun..." I smiled. "You're worried about me, aren'tcha?"

"Strangely, that's a fact," his voice was muffled, but, it was at this moment I realized how much darker his hair was getting. The tips of them were white now, and the rest was mostly black. He really began to look more like Kaneki now...

"There's something... I want to tell you..."

He parted from the hug to look at me. I could feel those butterflies swarming my chest, filling me with this anxious, but loving emotion.

"Just... Don't leave..."

His posture relaxed a little, although I didn't notice how tense it was earlier.

"B-Be... the Sasaki Haise I know," I stuttered. "Not anyone else. Not Kaneki. But you, Haise-kun."

"I... I will."

I smiled, before I noticed something out from the corner of my eye. A man that fits the description of the Wither was making his way down, and I believed he was heading for Haise-kun. My eyes widened, as I pushed him out of the way, and taking the blow from my back, a bit lower from where the koukaku come out. I was lucky to not have my heart destroyed, but a portion of my blood flowed out of my mouth, and onto his uniform. My kagune (which came out as a defense mechanism) held the kakuja blade, pushing it back so it wouldn't injure him. Wither fled the scene as I collapsed to the ground, a pool of my own crimson liquid coming out like spilled paint. Sasaki immediately leaned down, his face filled with fear.

"No, Rinamaru... Don't die, please. Don't die," He chanted over and over again, trying to stop the bloodflow. "Stay with me, please."

I felt my eyelids begin to grow heavy, and I smiled weakly, as I grabbed his hand slowly, interlocking my fingers with his hand. Tears streamed down my face, and my kagune began to slowly deteriorate, as I fell into unconsciousness, meeting up with death. All I heard was the frantic voice that belonged to a man who usually kept his cool.

•.° Timeskip °.•

My eyes fluttered open to an unfamiliar area. A house, nonetheless. My suspicions raised by the amount of ghoul scents lingering in the air, but relaxed when I began to recognize who they belonged to.

"How long was I out?" I groaned, as I sat up.

"Quite a while. You're the talk of the whole area," Touka handed me a glass of water, which I drank dry.

"Really?"

"Yeah, The ghoul who saved an Investigator from Wither!" Seitarou chirped.

Hinami nodded, agreeing with her son before flipping on the TV, sending the young child to his room.

 **"A few days ago, An astonishing event happened where the Nine Tailed Phoenix saved First Rank Ghoul Investigator Sasaki Haise from Wither, a notorious binge eating ghoul who is the source of the Binge Riots that have been happening throughout the area. Although, do you think it's pretty weird that A Ghoul like the Nine Tailed Phoenix, who once murdered over 300 CCG investigators saved the life of this young man?"**

I blinked. "Shit."

"Yeah, Shit. He really does look like Centipede," Ayato commented when they displayed Sasaki's picture on the screen.

 **"And because of this event, The riots have been more focused on CCG investigators, which has lead to devastating casualties in the heroes of the city."**

 **"And rumor has it The One Eyed Owl may be taking part in Wither's plans."**

"Eto!?" I gasped. "No way."

"It seems like there's more to it than we know of," Touka gritted her teeth.

 **"Wow. The CCG must be really on their guard this time."**

 **"It's only a rumor. Either way, they're beginning to evacuate civilians, due to the destruction they left in their wake. They also installed RC Scanners at every checkpoint, and are as effective as the ones in the CCG Headquarters."**

 **"We've found a few ghouls trying to escape from the city."**

"We're basically trapped here..."

"I know a way out," Ayato perked up, gathering everyone else's attention. "Aogiri Tree has a hidden underground tunnel we can use to cross into another ward. The only way you can find it is if you can get deep into our hideout.

"I'll come with you guys," I declared.

"But you haven't-"

I unwrapped the bandage, to reveal my almost fully healed wound. "For some strange reason, I've been able to heal quicker. I noticed it when I sat up."

"Well, We **did** feed you while you're unconscious..." Hinami added.

"But I have enough strength to protect you guys. Who knows what the hell the CCG's really up to?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

"I'll get Seitarou."

"How far away is your hideout?" I asked.

"Not that far, if you know where you're going."

"Alright."

•.° Timeskip, again °.•

"We made it," I breathed. "But looks like the investigators are, too."

"It's this way!" We followed Ayato down deep into the hideout. We then encountered a dirt room, with a sewer tunnel.

"Down this tunnel, and straight ahead."

I stopped. "Well, this is goodbye."

Hinami turned to look at me. "You're not..."

"I'm staying here, to make sure you guys don't get followed."

"But-"

"If Wither wants me, then he'll see me. But I want you guys to live another, more peaceful life than this." I hugged the girls and Seitarou, and turned to Ayato. "Take care of my sister, Ayato."

"I promise you I will," He smiled, before leading them into the tunnel. When I didn't hear them anymore, I destroyed the enterance, and escaped as the dirt caved in with it. I then ran into two investigators. Shit. Right when I was feeling hungry. I gritted my teeth, as I dodged their attacks. Then I felt this surge within me. One I haven't felt since I was 16. Just two won't do any harm, right? I was about to lunge at them until one of the binge eating mobs came in and attacked them, and I escaped, running through the city, which slowly became a wasteland, filled with chaos.

"How did they manage to get it like this..?" I mumbled quietly. I stabbed a ghoul who tried to attack me. I used it's body to knock down the other two ghouls, and pierced them with my shards. I could feel my stomach twisting in knots craving flesh. but I shook it off, as I continued to run through the city, looking for Wither, or Haise. No, I can't see Haise like this. I need to find Wither.

"Rina!" I immediately turned around to see Haise, running towards me. What surprised me the most was his absent squad. His scent lingered towards me, and my eyes widened, my heart pulsing fast as my eyes turned black.

"No... Stay back!" I shouted, and he stopped in his tracks.

"Rina...?" He murmured, and I tightly gripped my arm.

"It's not... safe..." I warned. "I'm not... safe..."

"You don't mean..." My kagune splurted from my back.

"Get out of here!" I commanded, trying my best to hold myself back.

 _ **C'mon Rina, I know you want to.**_

 _Oh God, not now, please._

 ** _Looks like you hardly have a choice. I'm already taking over._**

 _Please don't. I can't let you harm him._

 ** _Kaneki's gone. There's no harm in killing the one who replaced him._**

 _There is, too..._

 ** _You're plagued with human emotions. Here, let me help with that._**

 _Ninetailed Phoenix, please..._

 _ **Don't worry, I'll tell him you said bye.**_

I then blacked out.

 _ **Sleep, my little Rinamaru...**_

"Rina...?" Sasaki started to walk closer to the unresponsive female, proceeding with caution. She looked up, but different than earlier. A sadistic grin was plastered onto her face, and her kagune began to harden, forming kakuja, and dressed itself onto her, while part of her ukaku covered her face in a fox shaped form, the rest as regular ukaku, and the tails shrinked, but formed little spikes on them.

"Well, well. It looks like the real Ninetailed Phoenix has appeared," Wither grinned, gathering the attention of the two ghouls.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Phoenix asked. "Huh, Seki?"

 **End of Chapter 6**

((Heya guys! I finally posted Chapter 6! Things were seriously delayed because of Family Matters going on within my household, and faced some issues within my school that I feel uncomfortable sharing publicly. Either way, A whole bunch of stuff has happened, and have affected my life and myself in many different ways. I would like to apologize to everyone who went to my school reading this for not showing up, I can explain more in a PM, as I would rather not explain publicly. Basically a lot has been going on in my life, leaving me being a sort of insecure little autistic child. Anything you want to know, I'll be more than happy to tell in a PM.

But on the chapter matters, It's getting close to the end! The mysterious voice from Chapter 2 appears! I've decided that I'm going to be wrapping up this series soon, But I don't wish to spoil the next few chapters for you guys, But The next chapter will focus on Wither's backstory, and the reason why he's starting these riots. Also, about that rumor in that news report, Eto's clearly not a part of it. She's probably just watching from the sidelines for her own amusement. Then again, who knows for sure? I got the RC Scanners part from the manga for those who've only watched the anime, where Kaneki and Touka went into the CCG Headquarters to provide false info on Hinami's wherabouts. I was surprised when I read that chapter. I also got to see Rize's backstory in Volume 5, and Uta and Yomo back in the 4th ward... Oh wow x3 anyways, see you in the next chapter!))


	8. Iridescence

**In the last chapter...**

 _ **Sleep, my little Rinamaru...**_

 _((Remember Chapter 2, people? Well, she's back. Had to plot-twist.))_

 **And so it continues!**

Chapter 7: Iridescense

((MANGA SPOILERS TO THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ MANGA. The spolier is a different ending of the Kaneki vs. Arima fight. PS there's gonna be multiple chapters in this one because I know you guys might want to see the rest of this arc through, and I know cliffhangers suck so yeah, these next few chapters (EDIT: THIS WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN, BUT I CHANGED MY MIND) are going to be a wrap-up of the ghoul/human war arc, and I've decided I will continue on add on after this ending. Just don't know what to do with it yet.))

The scene that unfolded was nothing more than terrifying. Rinamaru had taken on a similar form that Yamori did back when he captured her and Kaneki.

"So you're the hybrid boy she was in love with? Too bad you've become unlike our kind," Ninetailed Phoenix giggled. "You've plagued her with human emotions."

"Why are you talking in third person...?" Was the only thing that slipped out of the ghoul investigator's mouth, although he actually thought he was thinking that.

"Third person? You must be mistaken. Sweet Rina and I are two different beings. I'm the one she fears the most."

"Oi, Phoenix. What made you appear all of the sudden?" Wither asked, because he was curious.

"Well, I've come to kill the both of you. Don't forget that position you've left me in last time, Seki," Phoenix glared at the binge eater.

"Ah, yes, how could I forget?" He smiled. "Why don't we finish off on what we started?"

Wither lunged at the chimera ghoul, and was instantly shot back, the impact leaving him crippled, unable to move, but not dead.

"Stupid Seki."

"Could it be...?" Sasaki muttered. "She and the Owl..."

"I'm not related to that one eyed bitch. I'm one of a kind, you know?" One of her rinkaku kagune smacked the unsuspecting investigator, throwing him into one of the deteriorated buildings. The hybrid realized the circumstances, and pulled out his quinique.

"A ghoul, using a dove's weapon? Hah! That's absurd!"

"But here I am," Sasaki attacked the chimera, soon to be knocked back.

"You've got to be better than that to beat me, Hybrid Dove," Phoenix grinned. "Come on, I wanna real fight. Don't tell me you can't even use it. Pathetic."

"It's not that I can't, I don't have a reason to," He shot back, hitting her with his quinique, not even making a scratch on her Kakuja armor.

"Why don't I give you a reason to?" She smiled, as she stabbed his shoulder with her rinkaku, and shook him off, as he made contact with the ground, blood oozing out of the fresh wound. She grabbed his quinique, and broke it, tossing away what was left of it. "Now you're defenseless. I thought the dove's nest knew better when they trained you guys."

She approached the dying investigator, and kneeled down to his level. "Don't die on me just yet, hybrid dove. Rina will go crazy."

He looked up at the crazed chimera weakly, trying his best to regain his posture, but the beatings he took, and how much blood he's lost hasn't really helped with that. Little did she know, the ghoul investigator hasn't even eaten in months.

"Oh dear, you might actually die. I guess I'm really that strong, haha," She chuckled, as she got up from her crouched position, and walked over to Wither. "You're still alive... Let me slowly end your sufferring."

She ripped the binge eater's arm off like bread, as the ghoul screamed in agony. She threw it at Sasaki's direction, and it hit his head, and landed in front of his face. He took on a new facial expression.

She then swung her foot onto Wither's head, and smashed it onto the wall. "I never really liked heads to be honest..."

She approached the ghoul, and held him up in her arms. She giggled.

"You actually do look cute now that I got a good look at you. Oh, I just love your scared expression!"

She ripped off a finger from Wither's hand with her free hand, and dangled it above his head.

"Doesn't this look tasty?"

Sasaki stared directly at the finger, but gulped, trying to resist his hunger. Phoenix pouted, before shoving it in his mouth. " **EAT IT**."

The hybrid tried his best to resist, and cough it out, but in this state, he proved to be more weak, and at her strength level as an SSS~ ((Yes, it's a possibility for her to be an SSS ghoul, but she's not one, and the investigators don't know that yet.)), he couldn't fight back, and eventually swallowed the finger, and his eyes widened, pupils dialated a bit.

"See, that was good, right?" She jumped back as he swiped at her. "Oho, there you are!"

His rinkaku splurted from his back, and he had this new look in his eyes, like centipedes.

"Hey, you wanna know a secret, hybrid dove?" She asked. "Someone tried to kill you before you became the person you were a few seconds ago. Does the name _**Kishou Arima**_ ring a bell?"

His eyes widened, and he lunged at her. "You're lying! Dad wouldn't-"

"Oh, but how would you know for sure? He took your eyes out, and left you paralyzed like a deer in the headlights!"

"I know da- Arima-san better than that. He wouldn't..."

"When you're a ghoul like me, you tend to be a target from the higher ups."

"Huh," His rinkaku than stabbed Phoenix's left hip, and the girl screeched in pain.

"That's more like it..." Her wound began to close up faster than it normally did. It seemed to be a bit abnormal, even for the average rinkaku ghoul. "Say, now that I know your true potential..."

She appeared behind him seconds later, and roundhouse kicked his head, sending him flying, and he was knocked out. "I want you to remember it all."

"Remember me... Remember us... Remember it all..."

She kneeled down, and held Sasaki in her arms, hugging him as a stray tear fell down from her face. "You will come back, and we'll defeat Arima together..."

 **End of Chapter 7**

((Sorry this one's short! I know you guys wanna explanation for Rinamaru and Phoenix, so here's one!

I wanted to create this sort of character who had different sides of them, and Rinamaru was my lucky contestant! You see, Rinamaru's like the Recessive gene, and Phoenix is the Dominant gene of personalities. Seeing that the two are the same person, and are sort of alike in a way, they tend to share "feelings" and "desires." Rinamaru is the sweet, and selfless side, while Phoenix is a bit more complex to understand, and overprotective of the ones she cares about, tending to be very selfish in the process. Yes, Phoenix is like a yandere in ways, but she's a ghoul, and under these circumstances, you're gonna want to hold on to what you got. Phoenix isn't a yandere, obsessed with Kaneki/Sasaki, but a bit overprotective and can get very jealous at times. She's just a very angry person who wants to get revenge on the CCG for messing with her lover's brain. Anyways, hope you enjoy the next chapter! Although I absolutely hated writing the first part ;-; ))


	9. I'm sorry to those who liked my story

I'm sorry to those who liked my story.

Poor Rinamaru took a serious turn that I honestly don't know how to fix.

JK, that's not the real reason.

The real reason is that I've had a very busy life, and I've truly lost interest in this story. will most likely not make an appearance either. The least I could do, is tell you what I originally planned for the end of this story. Just so you know, this wasn't the final draft so... expect some questionable things.

Sasaki gets his memories back. Even the ones he didn't want to remember. So basically... he recovers from his amnesia. Rinamaru wasn't there when that happened, as she (Phoenix) went to get rid of the Quinx squad. Meanwhile, I wanted to add a battle between Eto and Arima. This battle was to sette things. Well, Arima won, he killed Eto, but lost a leg. He was also slowly dying of blood loss, after some ghouls ambushed him in his weakened state. Arima still had enough energy in him to fight when he suddenly comes across a scene that was written good enough to be worthy of a rating change. Rina was the culprit. Meanwhile Sasaki, or should I say Kaneki goes to search for Rina. The ghoul vs human war was still rampant, and he was ambushed by ghouls who believed he was on the enemy side. He soon spots Rina about to kill Arima, and hearing his voice causes her to revert to her normal self. Arima takes the chance to deliver a fatal blow to Rina, before he dies of blood loss. Rina is soon caught by Kaneki, as he holds her dying self in his arms. She then lears that he remembers everything, and she smiles. The two kiss before she dies. Kaneki mourns for her loss and eventually goes insane. Eventually, he is caught by what is left of the CCG, and gets executed, but before he does, a faint memory of Rina and Kaneki plays. The bookstore date of his dreams, but with her instead. Then the scene cuts to the first day Him and Rina met, where they're trying to get the last copy of a Takatsuki sen book that the store had. Then the scene cuts to black, and the story ends with this.

"Even gravity can't pull us apart, you know?"

There, that's the ending. Bravo. Done.

Hope you enjoyed! :D


End file.
